Navigating workplace relationships can already be challenging, but what happens when you throw familial ties into the mix?
But family business success stories are not uncommon, and can be found all over the world. In our own backyard, there’s Nic & Wes Builders, a homegrown design-and-build company founded by power couple Brian and Jude Kow, both 63, that specialises in conceptualising, designing and building landed residential homes. Brian, who is the managing director, steers the entire business organisation and direction. Formerly a broker, he left his job in 1995 to venture into business and subsequently roped in his wife, Jude, who now acts as an advisor. Brian tells us, “She is a person with an artistic eye and is great with details.”
Their two children, Nicole, 36, and Wesley, 33, whom the company is also named after, have also jumped on board. Today, it has over 40 employees.
But the greatest achievement of all has to be the passion we put into creating beautiful ‘Lifestyle Homes’ as a business and allowing the family to work together, creating a closer family bond at the same time.
Brian Kow, managing director of Nic & Wes
Nicole made her foray into the business in the marketing department but has progressed to shadow Brian in the running of the company, from observing to refining company processes. Wesley, whose specialty lies in social media content creation through photography and videography, is also involved in the marketing aspect.
They tell The Weekly more about handling conflict within a family-run enterprise, the challenges and positive aspects of working together, and what the two generations have learnt from each other. Plus, we glean some home styling tips for sprucing up your space in a jiffy.
Brian Kow (BK): The main challenge is having a difference of opinion or perspectives, but at the same time, we find that it gives each of us the chance to discuss and debate. Open communication allows us to understand each other’s perspectives before deciding on the best direction going forward.
Different perspectives, while challenging, also give us a selection of options. And who doesn’t like to have options?
BK: The ability to whole-heartedly trust your team as you go on this journey together. Trust has a lot to do with moving and driving a business.
Our family dynamic works in that we are always looking out for each other so you don’t have to look over your shoulder, making concentrating on growing the business together easier. As Kows, we mostly move in herds (pun intended).
BK: No lines are drawn. It has become part and parcel of our family life. We all have our own family time and individual time to explore our interests. It’s like a board game and we try to keep playing and building to the next level.
BK: While the company has built a credible foundation platform, Nicole and Wesley initiated our reach through proactive marketing and social media. With them on board, we have the opportunity to look at our business with the potential of a legacy model which means that it’ll continue on even after us — to be built to last for at least another generation.
With a new generation in the mix, it is about seeing the business from a fresh new perspective. While I have been focused on improving and simplifying the design-and-build process, they have steered me into exploring residential development. We have learnt that while they have contrasting characters — Nicole is more structured in nature and Wesley is more creative— they both have strengths that fill in the gaps of the business. For a business to thrive is about having diversity while finding common ground.
Nicole Kow (NK): I have a great relationship with my parents, and when I was at a career crossroads, they kindly offered me a position. Knowing that I had great mentors to guide me, I took it. I felt that it was an ideal environment to grow as a person, especially since I knew I would join the family business at one point or another.
I studied mass communications, and then went on to work an editorial job, so I wouldn’t say I was interested right off the bat. But having gone in that direction has allowed me to understand business from a different perspective, especially learning how important it is to be a good boss and being able to positively impact your team and working environment.
Wesley Kow (WK): Having studied marketing at university and working as a freelance photographer, I felt I could help enhance the marketing side with in-house content creation. I could still work on my fashion and event photography while expanding my skill set by working with the family business and exploring video production through home walkthroughs and mini-series tutorials with the birth of our Youtube channel.
NK & WK: They are probably the best examples of what good leaders should be. They have shown us that a business can succeed and thrive on a value system of trust and integrity, especially in the construction industry.
Working from the ground up as self-taught entrepreneurs and running a business that has lasted for 20 years with some of our senior colleagues including our foreign workers from day one is a testament to their leadership. Loyalty in this day and age is like an urban legend, but they have taught us that it can still thrive under the right conditions, which is when you understand that a business cannot flourish without a team. So as a leader, it is your role to watch out for them as you steer the ship.
BK: Bali has been a destination that we as a family love visiting and would do so quite often pre-Covid. So our home was created to embody a tropical villa resort and a vacation getaway within the comforts of our home. We don’t believe in building houses, but in creating homes or taking it a step further to create the Nic & Wes Lifestyle Home. Our home embodies the concept of Lifestyle Living because it is tailored to fit our family’s lifestyle and aspirations. We wanted to include the practicalities of a home but with added amenities including a basement pool, theatre room, gym and roof garden.
Being in sync, both Jude and I could visualise the same layout of the home upon our first viewing. It was fair to say that we made design decisions together while giving Nicole and Wesley creative play within their own bedrooms. Nicole opted for European-style interiors and Wesley chose Oriental elements for his room.
BK: A feature wall creates focal attention to a room. This can be achieved simply by painting one wall a different colour or hanging a decent size piece of artwork to create contrast.
Basic changes to your home accessories like cushion covers, candle stands, lamps, carpets and plants can instantly change the look and feel of a room. For more ideas, check out “Same Room, Different Look” to see how Jude transforms the look of her living room each month.
BK: Intermediate terrace homes usually fall in the more challenging spectrum of projects as compared to semi-detached and detached homes. With intermediate terrace homes, you are usually constrained by size, space and limited light and ventilation. But while challenging, it is also exciting to be able to work around those limitations while infusing the lifestyle elements, resulting in interesting abodes.
As for memorable projects, we always enjoy working on themed homes. These include concepts inspired by black and white colonial homes, Peranakan homes, and even abstract-style homes like our recent project inspired by the iconic Chilli Crab. Themed homes allow us to work around a defined style but inject a twist tailored to the respective families.
Visit Nic & Wes Builders’ website for more.